The Plan
Long-Term Control Plan Overview
The solution to the pollution caused by combined sewer overflows (CSOs) in portions of Toledo’s sewer system is set forth in the Toledo Waterways Initiative’s Long-Term Control Plan. The creation of the LTCP was part of a Consent Decree handed down in 2001 by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio’s Western Division, located in Toledo.
This Consent Decree settled an 11-year lawsuit between the City of Toledo and the U.S. and Ohio Environmental Protection Agencies (EPA).
The LTCP details how CSOs are to be addressed throughout Toledo. The plan describes the sewer system improvements the City plans to make in order to meet federal and state water-quality standards and to improve water quality for recreation and aquatic life.
The plan originally was submitted at the end of 2005 to the U.S. and Ohio EPAs for review.
Negotiations continued with the U.S. and Ohio EPAs after the original submission. A revised plan was submitted to both EPAs in 2009. That plan has been accepted and was signed in May 2010 by Toledo and forwarded to the EPAs for final approval.
According to the Executive Summary of the final revision: “The revised plan reflects an additional commitment by the City of approximately $60 million toward CSO control, and it emphasizes solutions with highly predictable outcomes (storage, separation, source control) rather than solutions that rely on treatment technology that may be difficult to accomplish. The 2009 LTCP includes a revised approach to evaluate the effectiveness of CSO control projects.”
Additionally, the Executive Summary states: “The proposed implementation duration has been extended to accommodate the additional investment in the project. The proposed completion date is August 31, 2020.”
Among the changes in the final revision were a reduction in the size of the equalization basin; the elimination of the final clarifier; and greater reductions in CSOs, including reducing CSOs in the Ottawa River to 0 in an average year, further reduction of CSOs in the Maumee River and the elimination of disinfection of tunnel overflows. Additionally, Toledo agreed to conduct a pathogen study at its wet weather facility.
To review the final version of the LTCP’s Executive Summary, click here.
Additionally, the Consent Decree directed a series of public meetings be held to assist in the development of the LTCP. Following are links to the minutes of these meetings.
